The Upscale Steakhouse Chain That's Gone Downhill, According To Reviews

If you're going to shell out the big bucks to dine at a steakhouse, you want to make sure it's worth your money. Apparently, the food at the once-quality chain Ruth's Chris Steak House has gone steeply downhill, and believe it or not, it's not because of that strangely-placed apostrophe (don't worry; there is a story behind Ruth's Chris's name). 

Before we get into the reviews, let's explore how expensive it actually is to dine at Ruth's Chris Steak House. It's a step or two above a steakhouse chain like Outback or Texas Roadhouse. Its steaks range in price from around $57 to $156, depending on the location, and that doesn't even include sides. Even if you don't tack on appetizers and dessert, that's a pretty expensive piece of meat, one that some customers are saying is just not worth it anymore. 

"This place has consistently gone downhill, no longer worth it in the slightest," one customer wrote on Reddit. They wrote that the appetizer was lukewarm, the steak was too rare, and the sides were extremely disappointing. "$400 bill for one of the most disappointing meals I have had in a loonnnggg time," they concluded. Harsh. "I will no longer think of [Ruth's Chris] as a high end steakhouse, though it still has the high end $$$," another disappointed person wrote. "It's now the type of place that would have a big neon red open sign in the window."

"Didn't they get bought by the same company that owns Olive Garden? I'm not surprised they went downhill," one Reddit commenter wrote on a thread lamenting the diminishing quality of the food at Ruth's Chris. Indeed, Darden Restaurants, Inc. acquired the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse brand in 2023. Darden owns Olive Garden, along with LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, and more. It's possible that Olive Garden's parent company acquiring Ruth's Chris is the reason behind the declining quality of the food. 

It's not a new phenomenon. When large companies take over operations at smaller ventures, food distributors can change, priorities can shift, and cost-saving, convenience, and efficiency measures can take precedence over quality. Many customers are convinced that's what's been going on with Ruth's Chris in the last few years. "Ruth's Chris went downhill when the original owner sold it," a Reddit commenter posited. "Yes, they are coasting on reputation and nostalgia."

"I've eaten at several of them across the U.S. and they have indeed gone downhill over the past decade," yet another customer wrote. Someone else commented, "I had a bad steak [at] Ruth's Chris at the end of 2025. ... It upset me quite a bit because of how downhill it felt. Last time I went was in 2016 and it was fantastic." A poor once-regular concurred that unfortunately, the quality of food at Ruth's Chris just isn't what it used to be: "I loved Ruth's. Been going for over 35 years. Last year was first time in a few years and reminded me why I never go. It is just so ... bad now. Food not good. Service not good."